Chart Setup: Area Object

Main controls for the Area Object.

Components

Menu: Shape

Controls that modifies the Area Object shape.

Area Object Shape Menu.

List: Geometry Type

• Absolute: Mesh and curve shapes that match Datapoint Range.

  Depending on Alignment type, the object will generate enough geometry to fit all datapoints.

• Ranged: Geometry on meshes and curves are manually ranged.

• Custom: Select a custom collection in the scene that contains the Area Object(s).

  It is possible to select both a range of objects or a single object in the chosen collection.

Menu: TRS

Transform controls for the Area Object.

Area Object TRS Menu.

Transforms the Area Object and all objects aligned to it.

Menu: Geometry

Alignment and modification controls for the Area Object.

Area Object Geometry Menu.

• Alignment: Alignment controls for objects aligned to the Area Object.

  Select where to align datapoints/labels to (Points; Edges; Faces).

• Mask: Controls related to masking out geometry of the Area Object.

  Show only Area Object geometry that has datapoints aligned, and/or is part of a vertex group (custom objects.)

• Position: Set position of Area Object geometry to match datapoints.

  Which geometry extrudes depend on the Alignment option set in the Alignment Menu.

• Mods: Set the resolution of the Area Object (Post Alignment).

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Usage Examples

Change the Area Object Shape

In this example, the Area Grid Mesh will be changed to the Area Circle Curve.

1. Apply the preset:

   Examples/Advanced/Object Shapes A
   

2. Navigate to Chart Setup/Area Object/Shape/Absolute/Curve.

3. Select Circle from the list of curves.

   Note

   The Datapoint Objects dissapeared. This is because they are trying to align TRS to the Area Objects Faces and can’t find any.

   Let’s correct that in the next step.

4. Navigate to Chart Setup/Area Object/Geometry/Alignment and set Faces to Points.

5. Enable Button: Use Curve Normal and set Normal Direction to X.

6. The Area shape has changed to a curve, correctly aligning datapoint objects.

Chart Setup: Change the Area Object.

Set Area Geometry Position to Value

In this example, a chart using datapoint objects will be converted into an area chart. It will also show how to lock datapoint labels to area geometry.

1. Apply the preset:

   Examples/Advanced/Object Shapes A
   

Hide Datapoints

2. Navigate to Chart Setup/Visibility.

3. Disable Toggle: Datapoint.

Label Setup

4. Navigate to Chart Setup/Text/Datapoint/Align/T.

5. Set List: X, Y, and Z Axis Lock to Area Geometry Position.

Set Area Object geometry position to Value

6. Navigate to Chart Setup/Area Object/Geometry/Position.

7. Enable Toggle: Enable Set Postition and enable Toggle: Extrude Invdividual.

   The Area Object is now extruding faces by value. Alternatively the Area Object can also set the position of points.

8. Optionally navigate to Chart Setup/Area Object/Geometry/Alignment and set Faces to Points.

Set the Range Material

6. Navigate to Chart Setup/Materials and Shading/Materials.

7. Change Material: Area from ch_area_def to ch_range_def.